University of Virginia Library

Placement, Counseling Offices
Provide Professional Service

Several offices at the University
of Virginia provide professional
counseling services to
undergraduate and graduate
students and are designed to aid in
the educational and career
decision-making process. The two
primary offices engaged in this
service are the Student Counseling
Center and the Office of Placement.
Both of these offices provide
counseling services on a walk-in and
appointment basis. The Office of
Placement (924-3378) is located on
the first floor of Minor Hall and the
Student Counseling Center
(924-3633) is located on the first
floor of Miller Annex.

Office of Placement

The Office of Placement at the
University of Virginia is designed to
assist students or alumni of the
University who are concerned
about employment or graduate
studies. The service exists for the
prime purpose of helping you
decide where you are going
(career-wise) and how you are going
to get there following graduation.

We can assist you through
individual career counseling or by
discussing career opportunities with
your special interest club, your
class, or any other student
organization of which you may be a
member.

As part of the placement
counseling process you will meet
with a career placement counselor
who can help you identify year
concerns, provide career
information, and in
identifying resources which d
in resolving career and gric
study concerns.

Interview Sessions

In addition to the initial interview
both individual and group
counseling sessions are available to
any student who may benefit from
them. Such concerns as career
direction, employment
opportunities, interview techniques
and job selection, among many
others, are explored.

The Office of Placement
maintains a library containing
graduate school catalogues,
government test applications, job
listings and career resource
materials. Recruiters from
numerous business, industry and
governmental organizations seek
full time and summer employees
throughout the year in the Office
of Placement.

Placement counselors follow the
progress of each individual with
whom they have interacted
throughout the academic year and
are available to offer further
placement assistance at any time.

You are invited to review our
placement manual and several
pamphlets which are designed to
provide more detailed information
about placement services available
in the University Office of
Placement.

One of the major services of the
Student Counseling Center is to
assist students in identifying and
clarifying their choice of a major
field of study. Assisting
undergraduates and graduate
students to clarify their personal
and professional goals upon
graduation is also a major counseling
activity of the psychologists at the
Student Counseling Center. Some
of the other major counseling
services provided include helping
students improve their study skills
and reading skills. Individual
sessions and small group
experiences are provided to help
students resolve their personal
concerns and interpersonal
difficulties. Various types of group
experiences are offered allowing
students to improve their
interpersonal skills and to enhance
their personal psychological growth.

Counseling Center

The majority of students who
come to the Student Counseling
Center seek assistance-in planning
and clarifying their educational or
career goals. A sound educational
choice (such as the selection of a
major or college) or career decision
should include the consideration
and thoughtful evaluation of
factors that would effect potential
success and satisfaction with your
major or career. Factors explored
with a vocational counselor include
understanding your personal and
vocational interests, values and
aspirations, strengths and
weaknesses, and personality traits
and their relationship to making a
good decision.

To assist you in clarifying your
educational and career interest
patterns, the Student Counseling
Center provides a variety of career
interest inventories, life value and
goal inventories, and personality
inventories that can provide helpful
insight to better understanding
yourself. Your discussions with a
vocational psychologist at the
Counseling Center include the use
of a variety of types of results.
When appropriate, the psychologist
may be able to help you clarify the
circumstances that may be
impeding your attempts to identify
a major or career field.